Don’t forget that most voters in the United States are registered as “Independents” not Democrat or Republican.
Well that’s true, but I think my point is still valid, that is that because this race pits one candidate that is strongly conservative against one that is a strong liberal, the vote total should give an indication of “blueness”. One factor is that Cruz’s Hispanic name and origins may earn him more votes from people who don’t know the politics but just vote for the most Hispanic-sounding candidate.